Member Article

£450k technology upgrade for Manchester translation services company

Translation services company The Translation People, which has its headquarters in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, has completed a £250k upgrade to its software and IT systems and plans to spend a further £200k this year.

A variety of new features, including improved translation memory and terminology management software, mean its translators can work faster, more efficiently and with greater consistency, while broadband connections at all of the company’s offices have been upgraded.

Managing director Steve Wilde said the investment enhances the firm’s service to customers, reduces costs to clients worldwide and is already helping it to win bigger projects with companies in sectors such as engineering, retail and insurance.

Mr Wilde added: “Technology plays a key role in the translation business and our investment improves productivity, quality and consistency. It also enables us to pass on significant cost savings to our clients.

“The upgrade makes our business more scalable, as it means we can handle larger projects for companies and organisations across the globe.

“We will be continuing our investment during 2015 to include new, customised portals that allow clients to upload documents for immediate and direct access by translators, ensuring an even faster and more efficient service.”

The company employs more than 4,000 professional translators worldwide for projects in sectors including healthcare, finance, insurance, manufacturing, engineering and retail.

They work in more than 250 language combinations, translating websites, brochures, software, technical manuals, legal documents, videos and marketing materials.

A key feature of the firm’s investment programme has been an upgrade for its translation memory software which stores common definitions and phrases, tools which are especially important when different translators are working on the same project.

The firm often has up to 40 translators working on the same large assignments, which can be up to a million words long.

Another major focus has been on terminology management technology. The company has built databases which prompt linguists to only use clients’ preferred corporate phrases or technical terms, and identifies those they do not wish to appear.